Search Results

11. Satyrs

Description: Pottery: red-figured psykter (wine-cooler). Revels of bearded satyrs. The central figure appears to be that of a bearded satyr, dressed as a herald, in chlamys (Thracian ?) with heavy horizontal patterns, petasos at back, and high endromides with flaps, turned over, of skin; he moves to left looking back, with caduceus inverted in his left hand, and holding up his right in surprise. The rest of the figures fall into four groups, proceeding to the right as follows: (i) Two bearded satyrs, advancing from each side towards one who has fallen backwards to right on fingers and toes, with a cantharos balanced on his phallos; the satyr on the right pours wine from an oinochoe into the cantharos, the other holds forward with both hands a second cantharos. (ii) Two bearded satyrs dancing on each side of a cantharos on the ground; the one on the left, resting on his left leg, has thrown his right foot back and upward, as if to kick his back with his heel; his body is en face, and this right foot is a bold attempt at foreshortening; with body and arms bent to right, his attitude seems to suggest plunging head first into the cantharos. The other, who is wreathed with ivy, balances himself, with arms extended behind him, on his left leg, and flourishes his right foot over the cantharos. (iii) A bearded satyr, with legs in air, supports himself on right hand and left forearm, and lowers his mouth into a kylix resting on the ground. The other (ithyphallic) strides towards him from right, holding a kylix by the foot in his left, and extending his right with a gesture of admiration. (iv) A bearded satyr has fallen backwards to left upon his hands, with his left leg bent under him (foot in foreshortening), and into his open mouth has wine poured from a wine-skin by a bearded satyr on left, and from an oinochoe by another. Above group (ii) is inscribed ΑΡΙΣΤΑΛΟPΑΣ KAΛΟΣ, 'Άρισταλόρας καλός. Below it, ΔΟΡΙΣ ΕΛΡΑΦΣΕΝ, Δόυρις ἔγραφσεν. All the satyrs, except the herald and the one last described, are bald on the crown; and all except the one wreathed have a fillet fastening the hair in a knot behind; in the case of the reclining figure in (iv) the hair is knotted, but the fillet is omitted. The tumbler in (iii) has the end of his beard recurved in a small tuft. The design forms a frieze around the shoulder and body of the vase. Purple fillets, wreath, wine, inscriptions, and cord of petasos. Brown inner markings and hair up centre of body; edge of hair in thinned black. Eye, with dotted pupil against inner angle, smaller than usual. Round the flat part of the shoulder, a band of tongue pattern; below the design, a band of alternate key and red cross square. At the junction of the base to the body, a band of alternate palmette and flower (silhouette) laid horizontally. --The British Museum, Walters, H B; Forsdyke, E J; Smith, C H, Catalogue of Vases in the British Museum, I-IV, London, BMP, 1893; Walters, H B, Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum: Great Britain 8, British Museum 6, London, BMP, 1931

12. Theseus and Minataur

Description: Pottery: black-figured psykter (wine-cooler) with double walls. Designs black on red panels, with palmette and lotus borders along the top; purple and white accessories, much faded. (a) Dionysiac group: On left a Maenad standing to right between two Satyrs, with long hair tied in a club, and long bordered chiton, over which is a nebris (fawn’s skin). Under the spout of the vase is a Satyr to left, on a smaller scale, stooping forward to caress a hare on the ground. Next to right is Dionysos, bearded, with long hair, ivy-wreath, long embroidered chiton and himation, keras (drinking horn) in left hand. In front of him is a Satyr advancing to right, in a dancing attitude, with left hand held above his head. All the Satyrs except the smaller one, the body of the hare, and the Maenad's nebris, are stippled all over, to indicate hair. (b) Theseus slaying the Minotaur: In the centre, Theseus to right (long hair, fillet, cuirass and short chiton, on which is a large rosette on his hip), holding the Minotaur's left arm with left hand, and plunging sword into his neck; blood falls from the wound. Beneath his legs is a conical stone (cf. Wien. Vorlegebl. 1889, pl. v., I b), on which he has laid his embroidered chlamys. The Minotaur has a bull's head with mane, and his body is stippled with hair; he has fallen on left knee, and his right arm grasps that of Theseus from behind, while in left he holds a stone. On each side of the centre group are two beardless male figures, representing Athenian victims; the one on the right and the one behind Theseus wear striped embroidered himatia; the one on the left is nude, the one behind the Minotaur has an embroidered chlamys over his shoulders, and hair tied in a club. All the figures have a lock of hair in front twisted over a fillet. --The British Museum, A Catalogue of the Greek and Etruscan Vases in the British Museum, London, William Nicol, 1851; Walters, H B; Forsdyke, E J; Smith, C H, Catalogue of Vases in the British Museum, I-IV, London, BMP, 1893; Walters, H B, Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum: Great Britain 4, British Museum 3, London, BMP, 1927

13. Dionysus and satyrs

Description: Pottery: black-figured psykter (wine-cooler) with double walls. Designs black on red panels, with palmette and lotus borders along the top; purple and white accessories, much faded. (a) Dionysiac group: On left a Maenad standing to right between two Satyrs, with long hair tied in a club, and long bordered chiton, over which is a nebris (fawn’s skin). Under the spout of the vase is a Satyr to left, on a smaller scale, stooping forward to caress a hare on the ground. Next to right is Dionysos, bearded, with long hair, ivy-wreath, long embroidered chiton and himation, keras (drinking horn) in left hand. In front of him is a Satyr advancing to right, in a dancing attitude, with left hand held above his head. All the Satyrs except the smaller one, the body of the hare, and the Maenad's nebris, are stippled all over, to indicate hair. (b) Theseus slaying the Minotaur: In the centre, Theseus to right (long hair, fillet, cuirass and short chiton, on which is a large rosette on his hip), holding the Minotaur's left arm with left hand, and plunging sword into his neck; blood falls from the wound. Beneath his legs is a conical stone (cf. Wien. Vorlegebl. 1889, pl. v., I b), on which he has laid his embroidered chlamys. The Minotaur has a bull's head with mane, and his body is stippled with hair; he has fallen on left knee, and his right arm grasps that of Theseus from behind, while in left he holds a stone. On each side of the centre group are two beardless male figures, representing Athenian victims; the one on the right and the one behind Theseus wear striped embroidered himatia; the one on the left is nude, the one behind the Minotaur has an embroidered chlamys over his shoulders, and hair tied in a club. All the figures have a lock of hair in front twisted over a fillet. --The British Museum, A Catalogue of the Greek and Etruscan Vases in the British Museum, London, William Nicol, 1851; Walters, H B; Forsdyke, E J; Smith, C H, Catalogue of Vases in the British Museum, I-IV, London, BMP, 1893; Walters, H B, Corpus Vasorum Antiquorum: Great Britain 4, British Museum 3, London, BMP, 1927